Student Services

EC offers an outstanding college-preparatory program. We strive to help students explore options and find the best post-secondary pathway. Last year, 99 percent of our graduating seniors entered a four-year undergraduate program and EC's college counselors provided students and families with personal support every step of the way. Learn more on our College Counseling webpage.

Knowing the challenges that middle school and high school students face, school counselors at EC want every student to feel supported and appreciated. We provide a safe and welcoming office for all students regarding any issues of concern. Students can schedule an appointment via email or Calendly or visit Student Services for urgent issues. 

Our two high school counselors and one middle school counselor interact with students daily and provide resources and tools to support adolescents' social and emotional needs in all stages of their development. Each year, they refresh and expand their knowledge about current adolescent trends and issues regarding mental health so that their services are relevant and timely. 

Services our EC school counselors provide include:

• Short-term, confidential individual counseling
• Support new students, including international students, as they transition into the EC community
• Collaboration with our Academic Resources Department as part of the Student Intervention Team – a team of caring educators who brainstorm and provide individualized student support interventions
• Helping students navigate typical developmental challenges as well as more substantial emotional challenges through small groups, individual counseling, wellness week, newsletters and website resources
• Deliver educational programming on social and emotional issues for students, faculty and families through Canvas, EC3, Tutorial period, lunches, newsletters, PFSA presentations and our school website
• Coordination with existing therapists to provide consistent support resources and reinforce outside strategies
• Coordination with inpatient care facilities to provide transitional support and/or academic continuation when appropriate
• Monitor the EC anonymous Tipline, together with the administration, deans and directors, to keep abreast of student concerns and respond to reported issues

Data collected from the fall Needs Assessment (an anonymous survey created with administration, deans and student life staff) guides the EC counselors about the specific topics and type of information presented to our middle school and high school students. 

Throughout the school year, counselors collaborate with local experts to share strategies and ensure our approaches are current and timely. We also partner with area high schools to share resources and support students when a community response is needed. 

Class of 2023 and beyond:

• English, 4 years
• Health, 0.5 years
• Mathematics^WSAC, 3 years (minimum Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II; 4 years are recommended for college admission)
• Physical Education, 1.5 years¹
• Religious Studies, 4 years²
• Science, 3 years (physics, biology and chemistry are required; 4 years are recommended for college admission)
• Social Studies, 3 years (minimum - world history, U.S. history and American government)³
• Visual and Performing Arts, 2 years⁴
• World Language, 2 years of the same language (3 years are recommended for college admission)⁵

Current students can access their unofficial transcripts through PlusPortals. Additionally, at the end of each year, students and their parents receive an official transcript which can be submitted for summer programs, scholarships and other situations where an official transcript is not required. 

Alumni can request a copy of their official transcript by emailing the school Registrar Lakshmi Palaniappan at lpalaniappan@eastsidecatholic.org with the below information.

There is no fee for transcript requests.

For an Official Transcript

• Full Legal Name (please include maiden name if applicable)
• Year of Graduation
• Date of Birth
• Organization’s name, mailing address and email of where you would like the transcript sent

For an Unofficial Transcript

• Full Legal Name (please include maiden name if applicable)
• Year of Graduation
• Date of Birth

Naviance Student from Naviance is a college and career platform that many high schools have chosen to help students prepare for college and use it as the vehicle to submit documents (transcripts, letters of recommendation and reports) electronically to all colleges and universities.

Naviance also offers many career tools including the Career Finder and RoadTrip Nation as well as personality and strength assessments.   All middle and high school students have access to Naviance and can log in using their Office 365 credentials via Clever.

• Naviance Overview
• Document Resources in Naviance
• Assessments in Naviance
• Surveys in Naviance
• Resume Resources in Naviance
• Naviance Edocs
• Logging into Naviance/Registering for College Visits

• Seattle Children’s Hospital: Supporting Mental Wellness and Family Life During COVID-19 
  In addition to tips for helping kids cope, this website has a helpful video series about parenting teens during COVID-19, a link to their recorded Facebook Panel from March 27 on Coping During COVID-19, the May 15 Facebook panel on Supporting Teens During COVID-19 and the May 29 Facebook panel on Sustaining Coping Skills During COVID-19.
• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Resources for Helping Kids and Parents Cope Amidst COVID-19
• Child Mind Institute: Supporting Families During COVID-19
• Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine: COVID-19: Resources for Parents and Teens – SAHM
• New York Times: Quaranteenagers: Strategies for Parenting in Close Quarters
• Challenge Success: A Message to our Challenge Success Family during COVID-19
• HealthyChildren.org: How to Help Children Build Resilience in Uncertain Times

Mental and physical health resources, workshops and education are provided each year through EC3, mentor, classroom presentations, bulletin boards, Canvas, small groups and individual meetings with the school counselors.

Wellness Week 2021 was dedicated to destigmatizing the topic of mental health and providing resources for more meaningful and positive wellbeing. Given the situations that our world collectively faces, the importance of our wellbeing is at the forefront of every decision we make.

We recognize that the EC community were asked to take on extra tasks over the year. Your wellbeing is important too. As such, EC offered our speaker events to all parents, guardians, students, faculty and staff.

Speaker Event Videos
March 23 - Director of Campus Ministry Deacon Pickett
March 24 - Mental Health Therapist Ms. Burns
March 25 - Director of Equity and Social Action Ms. Harris-Johnston

Students were encouraged to check the Eastside Catholic Instagram account throughout the week for various Wellness Week videos.

Students can click on the various resource "classroom" images below to learn more about physical health, fulfillment and purpose, emotional and social wellbeing, environment and culture, and food and nutrition.

Physical Health

Fulfillment and Purpose

Emotional and Social Wellbeing

Environment and Culture

Food and Nutrition

In 2020, Student Services partnered with ASB Leadership to raise awareness about some of the most common mental health disorders, provide the necessary tools and resources to educate students and end the stigma that surrounds mental health disorders.

Students were encouraged to take his quiz from CureStigma as a family and discuss ways to promote mental wellness. Every day during Wellness Week, a mental health disorder was presented and discussed with students. The 2020-21 Wellness Week schedule is below.

Monday

• High school: Substance abuse and healthy coping; open gym to promote physical activity
• Middle school: Healthy coping; open gym to promote healthy activity
• Additional information and resources

Tuesday

• All school: Depression and what makes it a mental illness; a depression brochure will be handed out during lunch
• Additional information and resources

Wednesday

• High school: Eating disorders and self-love; Mentor activity on body positivity
• Middle school: Positive body image; Mentor lesson on body positivity, encouraging and gratitude activities at lunch
• Additional information and resources

Thursday

• High school: Anxiety and mindfulness; lunch activities that promote mindfulness, guest speaker
• Middle school: Anxiety and mindfulness; lunch activities that promote mindfulness
• Additional information and resources

Friday

• We will finish the week by celebrating “Inside Out.” Students are invited to wear their clothes inside out in order to represent the importance of the things often kept on the inside. Our goal at EC is to create a culture where mental health is valued and where mental health disorders are met with love and respect. We seek to equip our community with tools and resources and break down any stigma that might prohibit someone from getting the help they need. On Friday we will also invite students to sign a pledge to “End the Stigma.”

Eastside Catholic has partnered with Lifestance Health to provide monthly parenting speakers. Below are the events that were previously hosted.

Practicing Resilience: How to Thrive, Not Just Survive Life's Challenges
Colleen Hilton, founder of Acuity Counseling and a licensed marriage and family therapist with over 15 years' experience, hosted this meeting on September 16. Watch a recording on YouTube.

Sleep and Mental Health in Adolescents
Dr. Catherine Darley, ND presented on October 21 and is a leader in integrative sleep medicine. She founded The Institute of Naturopathic Sleep Medicine, Inc in 2003, and since then has helped people of all ages sleep well using behavioral and naturopathic approaches for sleep disorders. View a copy of her PowerPoint presentation.

Parenting Through COVID-19
UW Psychologists Jim and Lizz Mazza hosted a virtual Q&A on November 4 to discuss their top social emotional education strategies for raising teens during COVID-19. Watch a recording on Vimeo.

Fuel Your Brain, Not Your Anxiety
Dr. Kristen Allott, ND presented virtually on Thursday, November 18. Dr. Allott is a naturopathic physician, national speaker, and pioneering advocate for the use of whole foods nutrition to treat mental health disorders. Watch a recording on YouTube. Below are resources that were presented during the meeting.

• Three Day Protein Experiment
• Being at Your Best During High Stakes Events
• Emergency Food Plans
• I Need Help Now! Quick Interventions for Anxiety, Irritation & Agitation